# What is the Consumer Data Right (CDR)?

> A plain-English primer on Australia's Consumer Data Right and how openfeed fits in.

- Category: guides
- Audience: all
- Updated: 2026-06-20
- Canonical: https://openfeed.au/resources/what-is-cdr

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The **Consumer Data Right (CDR)** is Australian legislation that gives consumers control over their own data.

Instead of your bank or energy provider being the only ones who can access your information, the CDR lets you choose who else can use it. With your permission, accredited organisations can securely access your data directly from the source, making it easier to compare products, switch providers or access services to make better informed financial decisions.

The CDR started with banking (often called Open Banking) and has since expanded to energy, with more sectors expected over time.

## The core idea

Your data should work for you.

The CDR makes that possible by requiring banks and energy retailers to securely share your information when you ask them to. Every connection is made using secure, standardised technology (APIs), and **every transfer happens with your explicit consent**.

You stay in control of who can access your data, what they can access, and how long that access lasts.

It's a simple idea, but an important shift: instead of your data being locked away inside different organisations, you decide when it can be used to help you.

## Where openfeed fits

openfeed sits on top of the CDR as a **consumer data platform**:

- You connect each holder once through the official CDR consent flow.
- openfeed securely connects to your data sources, bringing information together into a simple, consistent view.
- You then share it onward with apps in a single tap, which are governed by the Privacy Act to protect your data.

This removes the repetitive consent burden for consumers and the per-holder integration burden for
developers.

Read next: [How onward sharing works](/resources/how-onward-sharing-works).